A Day at the Zoo
by CrazyOtaku13
Summary: Natasha takes Loki to visit the zoo, but their trip doesn't go as planned. One-Shot.


**A/N: My friend gave me the prompt 'Loki and Nat at a zoo,' so this happened.**

"Those aren't horses, Natasha," Loki flatly remarked. The black and white striped creatures that grazed in a field of grass below him certainly _looked _horse-like, but Loki wasn't fooled.

"I know." Natasha leaned against the railing to get a better view of the animals. "They're zebras. I think they're the horse's cousin or something," she mused. "Go read the sign."

"You said there were horses," the god complained. Loki had wanted to see all of what Midgard had to offer him if he was going to make it his home. So far, he wasn't impressed. The city streets were always overcrowded, the amusement park rides nauseated him, and the first movie he had seen evoked much laughter from Tony Stark, but none from him. There were only three things Loki had grown fond of during his stay on earth-the tasteful menswear, various desserts, and Natasha Romanoff (not in that exact order, though).

Natasha sighed. "I thought there were horses here. My bad. Why are you so fixated on them?" she suddenly wondered, arching a brow at him.

Loki looked from the zebras to the red-head standing beside him. "You didn't seem to know what a Bildshnipe was," he informed her. "The horse was the only creature I named that you knew of."

"So it reminds you of home?" she softly smiled at the sentiment.

The god narrowed his eyes at the concept of 'home.' What was 'home' for him? Loki didn't believe he had one. Asgard was where he was raised. The surroundings were all so familiar to him, but he didn't feel like he belonged. His Mother, Frigga, was the only person who made him feel as though he fit in. Now that he was on Midgard living with Natasha, did that make this his home? Natasha made him feel welcome, but he wondered if that was enough to make him stay.

"Loki?" Natasha grew concerned as she watched Loki staring off into space. "I take it there aren't any zoos on Asgard?"

He snapped out from his daze at the sound of her voice. "No. No zoos. Our majestic beasts roam free, whereas yours are forced into cages for amusement…" His hands balled up into fists at his sides. Suddenly, Loki realized that his life on Asgard felt just like being an animal at the zoo. _He_ was the animal, locked up for the enjoyment of others.

Natasha saw his angered expression and feared that the zoo was a bad idea. She knew by Loki's words that he was in a bad place. Seeing him so upset was the last thing she wanted. "Let's go home," she suggested. She took him by the hand and started to lead him away. Just before they reached the exit, Natasha spotted a petting zoo out of the corner of her eye. "Let's just look over here first…" She dragged Loki towards the fenced in area where children were laughing and petting the baby animals.

Loki had chosen to keep quiet after the zebra exhibit. He wasn't in the best of moods, but once he noticed Natasha pointing towards something in the distance, a smile formed across his lips. "You didn't lie to me, after all…" Off in a far corner was a small pony eating from a trough. Loki was glad to finally see a familiar sight in a world where everything felt different.

"You wanna go pet it?" Natasha smirked.

"That's quite alright," he smiled. "But thank you, Natasha."

The assassin was finally glad to see Loki in better spirits. "This place isn't as bad as you think it is," she said suddenly. "The animals seem happy enough and people are happy to see them here."

Loki watched as a little boy went up to the pony to pet it. "You know, Natasha…" he began. The god noticed a group of children screaming as they chased after some geese. "I suppose one could count growing up with Thor as living in a zoo. His room was always a mess, he would roll around in filth, and he ate like a pig-which you _also _have here," he slyly remarked, spotting several squealing piglets. Natasha began to laugh and linked arms with him. Midgard was suddenly feeling more and more like home to him, so long as Natasha was by his side. "Perhaps one day our own kin will turn our home into a zoo," he mused.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Loki," Natasha playfully warned him.

"Oh, but I _like _getting ahead of myself, Ms. Romanoff." He leaned over to give her a gentle kiss.


End file.
